


A Moment of Stillness

by celeste9



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, First Meetings, Friendship, Grief/Mourning, Missing Scene, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-19
Updated: 2016-11-19
Packaged: 2018-08-29 08:49:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8483089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/celeste9/pseuds/celeste9
Summary: Jess looked at Rey standing there on the tarmac alone, dirty and with no clue where to go, and knew she had to do something.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [The_Wavesinger](https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Wavesinger/gifts).



General Organa moved through the crowd of celebrating pilots and techs like it wasn’t even there, everyone parting for her. Jess had never seen her look so grim. She didn’t know what had happened at Starkiller Base but she did know that Chewbacca had exited the _Millennium Falcon_ and Han Solo hadn’t.

Jess looked past Iolo’s shoulder at the girl standing there on the tarmac by herself. Rey.

She was dirty and grimy, the look on her face mirroring General Organa’s. Grief and loss. The difference was that Rey clearly had no idea what to do or where to go. It felt wrong, somehow, to be so happy when Rey looked as though she wanted to cry.

Making her excuses, Jess weaved her way through the crowd and past her friends, approaching Rey. “Hey,” she said. “Rey, right?”

Rey’s gaze settled on Jess, confusion flickering across her features. “Yes?”

“I’m Jess. I thought you might…” What? What could she say? Jess didn’t know this girl. Jess didn’t know what she wanted or what she was feeling. She was probably being intrusive.

But she had to do _something._

“I can show you where to get cleaned up,” she offered. “Or get something to eat? When’s the last time you ate?”

“Takodana,” Rey said simply, like that hadn’t been an age ago, like her stomach wasn’t consuming itself the way Jess knew it had to be. 

“Takodana? Well, damn, then clearly you need some food.” Jess reached towards Rey but Rey flinched back so Jess lowered her hand. “Sorry, I’m just… This way?”

Rey walked beside Jess silently, her eyes darting nervously over at everyone around them, the laughing, joking, happy beings who were grateful to be alive, grateful to have earned their biggest victory yet.

Rey’s pretty face was creased with worry. Jess thought of the still figure in Chewbacca’s arms, getting moved on a medical transport while Poe ran after him.

“Your friend… Finn?” Jess said. “He’s in good hands. The best. And Poe went to watch him. If you want, I can take you there? After we get something in your stomach?”

For the first time since Jess had seen her out on the tarmac, a positive emotion resonated on Rey’s face. Relief. “You could take me there now? Maybe?”

“It’s all right. I promise there is nothing you can do and nothing that will change if you take five minutes for yourself. You’ll be better able to stay by him if you don’t keel over from starvation, right?”

“I know what starvation feels like and this isn’t it.”

Taken aback by Rey’s matter of fact tone, Jess blinked at the side of her face. “Just a slight exaggeration, okay? But trust me. You’ll feel better after you eat.”

Rey didn’t argue any further and Jess took her into the mess hall. It was mostly empty, most of the base still out on the tarmac, in the infirmary, or in the control center. 

In spite of how Rey had protested, there was naked want on her face when Jess led her through to the kitchens. Her big, expressive eyes seemed even larger and she ran her tongue over her bottom lip seemingly unconsciously. 

“Here, this’ll be fast,” Jess said, knowing that no matter how hungry Rey was she would still want to get to Finn as swiftly as possible. She stuffed a couple of rolls and a piece of fruit into Rey’s hands and Rey didn’t even hesitate, just took a large bite.

She ate quickly, with open pleasure and no grace, clearly not caring anything at all about appearances. Jess wondered what sort of life she had led before this, that would teach her about starvation rather than social graces. She was struck suddenly by how damned young Rey was. Too young to have eyes that old, that was for sure.

Jess felt a bit sad but she was also… charmed. She thought she might like to get to know Rey better and she hoped she would have the chance.

“Good?” Jess said, smiling.

Rey nodded fervently, saying something unintelligible with her mouth full. She swallowed. “Yes, thanks. Can we see Finn now?”

“Yes, we can see Finn,” Jess said, amused, resigning herself to Rey’s one-track focus. “Though,” she warned as they walked, “it’s not likely you’ll actually get to see him. Not yet. If he’s in surgery they won’t let you in.”

Worrying her lip, Rey said, “But I can wait for him?”

“Of course.” Jess had a strange desire to hug Rey, to hold her close. She wasn’t sure Rey would let her. It had been all right for General Organa but Jess remembered the way Rey had flinched away from her hand.

“Poe is probably still there,” she told Rey.

“Poe,” Rey repeated. “The pilot. Finn told me about him. We thought he’d died.”

“Takes a bit more than a crash to slow him down. I think you’ll like him. Everyone does, really.”

Rey made a noncommittal sound. 

They passed Joph and L’ulo in the hall, sharing a bottle of something likely strongly alcoholic. Joph knocked Jess in the shoulder and Jess gestured rudely in his direction.

Rey looked back at them over her shoulder. “Not all the pilots made it out,” she said, sure and certain though she couldn’t have seen much - if any - of the fight. “But you’re still celebrating.”

“If we dwelled on it we couldn’t do what we do. Every pilot knows there’s a risk…” Jess paused for only an instant. “But their sacrifices meant something and we’re honoring that. There will be time for us to mourn and to celebrate the lives of the friends that we lost but for now we need to focus on what we’ve won.”

When Rey remained silent, her expression pensive, Jess took a gamble. “I think you know a little about that, don’t you? Moving forward?”

Those old eyes in that young face, that air of just accepting what was… Somehow Jess knew that Rey had spent her entire life moving forward, focusing on what would allow her to do so.

“It isn’t the same,” Rey said in a mumble. “I don’t think you can lose what you never really had, and I… On Jakku, that’s where I’m from, I didn’t… I didn’t have anyone but myself. This… this feeling…” She stopped and swallowed, blinking her eyes.

Jess desperately wanted to touch her. She didn’t know if Rey would let her but she needed to try. She stopped walking so that Rey would pause, too, and she moved slowly so that Rey could see what she was doing, so that she could avoid it if that was what she wanted. Jess lifted her hand and settled it on Rey’s shoulder, thumb lightly rubbing.

Rey didn’t stop her. Her gaze drifted down to watch Jess’ hand as though she wasn’t sure what was happening and then she leaned into the touch ever so slightly, like a person who craved something they hadn’t known how to ask for.

“I’m sorry for your loss,” Jess said softly, because she knew now for certain that Han Solo, whatever had happened to him, that was a _loss_ for Rey. She knew the phrase was next to useless but she needed some means to express her sympathy, to indicate to this strange, beautiful girl that all Jess wanted was to help her.

“Why are you being nice to me?” Rey breathed out.

Jess wasn’t sure what was worse; Rey’s suspicion or her genuine lack of understanding. What the hell kind of life had this girl lived? “Looked like you could use a friend. That’s all.”

Then Rey smiled, small but bright, the sort of smile that illuminated a face. “I’d like that,” she said, almost shyly.

Jess squeezed her shoulder and thought that Rey’s smile was possibly the sweetest thing she had ever seen in her life. She was pretty sure that meant she was fucked, but Jess was okay with that.


End file.
